Forumula One

05th October 2006

FerrariI’s second biggest asset after Michael Schu­macher – technical director Ross Brawn – could also be missing from the squad’s line-up next year. Wild rumours in China linked the Mancunian with a role at Honda – although team boss Nick Fry refuted this.

“I can categorically say that apart from chatting with Ross on social pleasantries, there’s been no contact on a profess­ional basis,” he explained.

Brawn (image) is expected to take a year off in 2007, then return the following season to step into Jean Todt’s role as Ferrari team boss. But he said: “I don’t want to comment until the end of the season. Then we can make things clear. I’m certainly not entertaining going to another squad.”

Ferrari has spent the past couple of seasons grooming junior staff to step into key positions such as Brawn’s.